December 15th 2024.
According to recent reports, Kelly Cates, the well-known presenter for Sky Sports, is all set to bid farewell to the network at the end of the current season. The reason behind this move is her upcoming collaboration with BBC's new three-person presenting team for Match of the Day. This news comes after the long-time host of the show, Gary Lineker, announced his decision to step down after 25 remarkable years at the helm.
Cates, who happens to be the daughter of Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish, joined Sky in 2016 and has since become one of the most recognized faces of the network. However, as per the Daily Mail, her association with them will come to an end when she joins BBC at the end of the season. Cates is no stranger to the corporation as she has previously hosted their football phone-in show 606 and is a regular host on Radio 5 Live.
Although the BBC has not yet officially confirmed it, it is expected that Cates will be joined by Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan as part of the new three-person presenting team to fill in the shoes of the departing Lineker. The trio is likely to share the presenting duties for both Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, ensuring a fresh and diverse perspective for the viewers.
Chapman, who currently hosts Match of the Day 2, was initially considered to be the frontrunner to replace Lineker single-handedly. He also anchors Sky Sports’ coverage of the Carabao Cup and has been the face of the new Champions League highlights show launched by the BBC this season. On the other hand, Logan is a familiar face at the BBC, having anchored the channel's coverage of major sporting events like the Paris 2024 Olympics and Women's European Championships.
Interestingly, just last month, Cates had hinted at her contentment with staying at Sky Sports, despite her name being associated with the Match of the Day vacancy. She shared, "Do you know, and you never want to say this, but at the moment I've got a really lovely mix of everything. I've got TV, live matches, radio, and when it gets towards the end of the season I do live Champions League games too. I could be at an Olympics or a World Cup during the summer, so the balance of everything feels really nice. But I'm not tempting fate."
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